Les Burke, baseball player, 1923-1926

Les Burke

Born: 12/18/1902 in Lynn, MA, USA

Died: 5/6/1975 in Danvers, MA, USA

MLB Debut: 1923-05-02 | Final Game: 1926-09-15

Bats: L | Throws: R | Height: 5'9" | Weight: 168 lbs

Full name: Leslie Kingston Burke

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Biography

Les Burke was a professional baseball player born in 1902, who played in the Major Leagues from 1923 until 1926. Primarily serving as a position player, Burke appeared in a total of 194 games during his career. He achieved a batting average of .259, recording 131 hits and driving in 47 runs, although he did not hit any home runs throughout his time in the league. Known for his speed on the bases, he successfully stole 7 bases, demonstrating a level of agility that was appreciated in the game during the early 20th century. Burke’s playing career unfolded during a transformative period in baseball, which saw the transition from the deadball era to a more offensively driven style of play. While he did not achieve the same level of fame as some of his contemporaries, his contributions as a solid role player reflected the depth and talent present in the league at the time. After retiring from professional play on September 15, 1926, Burke left behind a legacy as a dedicated athlete who played a crucial supporting role on the teams he was part of.

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
194 506 73 131 17 7 0 47 7 46 32 0.259 0.327 0.320 0.647 -1002.2

Career AVG .259 vs. league average .284 across their career seasons — 8.7% below league average.

Career OBP .327 vs. league average .346 across their career seasons — 5.7% below league average.

Career SLG .320 vs. league average .394 across their career seasons — 18.8% below league average.

Career OPS 0.647 vs. league average 0.741 across their career seasons — 12.7% below league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Year Team Lg G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG Lg AVG Lg OBP Lg SLG Lg OPS PIV
1923 DET AL 7 10 2 1 0 0 0 2 0 0 1 0.100 — — — — 0.0
1924 DET AL 72 241 30 61 10 4 0 17 2 22 20 0.253 .283 (-11%) .345 (-7%) .389 (-16%) .734 (-12%) -515.3
1925 DET AL 77 180 32 52 6 3 0 24 4 17 8 0.289 .288 (avg) .349 (+2%) .407 (-13%) .756 (-6%) -164.1
1926 DET AL 38 75 9 17 1 0 0 4 1 7 3 0.227 .279 (-19%) .345 (-13%) .390 (-38%) .735 (-26%) -322.8

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
2B 126 0 252 337 26 65
3B 9 0 8 17 4 0
SS 7 0 7 15 2 2

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1923 DET 2B 1 0 0 2 0 0
1923 DET 3B 2 0 1 1 2 0
1924 DET 2B 58 0 125 167 13 30
1924 DET SS 6 0 6 15 2 2
1925 DET 2B 52 0 100 130 9 27
1926 DET 2B 15 0 27 38 4 8
1926 DET 3B 7 0 7 16 2 0
1926 DET SS 1 0 1 0 0 0

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Second Base 126
Third Base 9
Shortstop 8